I am so proud. I have finally tried to make a dough with real, active, dry yeast, and have succeeded!!! Always a late bloomer, I put this particular challenge off until nearly 49, but have finally achieved it, nevertheless. Knock that one off the bucket list!
I have to say it's all thanks to the great Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, cooking experts and judges on the fantastic show "The Great British Bake Off". Mary Berry has been teaching England how to cook since before WWII, and everyone wants to please her. One blue-eyed glare from Mary and even iron men crumple. And if Mary pronounces your bake "scrummy" you know you have mastered your craft.
Paul has a recipe for Hot Cross Buns that intrigued me. After watching every single episode of every season of the Bake Off, I felt I might be up to trying a yeasted dough. I watched the contestants knead, let rise, and bake so many times I finally felt confident to try it. So try it I did.
Hot Cross Buns are a traditional English Easter treat. I had no idea what they tasted like, I've never had one before, but I like the look of them, and the ingredient list. Lots of fruit, LOTS of citrus, and spices. So I gave it a go.
The first time was all learning experience. Every single step was unknown to me, and there were several times when I thought I had done something horribly, irrevocably wrong. But in the end the buns turned out quite delicious, although very heavy and dense. I didn't know if they were supposed to be like that, but I suspected not because they hadn't risen very much. They also lost their white crosses. I misread the oven temperature and made it far too low, causing the white paste to melt into the tops of the buns and disappear. So I called them "Not Cross Buns" and served them at Easter anyway, to good reviews. Not rave reviews, but decent. At least polite. I vowed to try again.
My opportunity arose when I heard of the annual Worldwide Vegan Bake sale last weekend. There was a call for bakers on facebook and I thought, why not? I bet I can veganize those buns! I googled vegan hot cross buns and found recipes that were close to Paul's so I blended the two, taking Paul's ingredients (except for the eggs) and using the vegan measurements for a substitute.
Right away I knew I was on the right track. This time my dough ROSE. It rose and rose, until it was a beautiful, double-sized light, fluffy, yeasty cloud. I added all the fruit and the zest of two oranges, kneaded it for ten minutes and let it rise again which it did, brilliantly. Again I tipped out the fragrant, light-as-air dough and divided it into a dozen rolls, letting them rise once more, then piping on the crosses, baking for 20 minutes and glazing with apricot preserves.
The first bite was heaven on earth. So THIS is what they are supposed to taste like! Light, fluffy, a little chewy with a crisp top, slightly sticky with glaze. The chewy fruit and fresh cinnamon taste is divine, truly. I had a hard time leaving a dozen to take down to the bake sale. I heard they were a big success there and sold out quickly!
So happy to have finally experienced a yeasted bake. I will make these buns often, and i have my eye on a certain "Apricot Couronne" on Paul Hollywood's site. Check out the Bake Off and Paul's blog if you feel like having fun and making your family and friends and coworkers very happy! xoxo DR
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